docnano

It took me 90 hours to beat Rebirth, and I can't think of the last time I had such a consistently great time spending so long with a single game. The gameplay variety, excellent characters, beautiful world, fleshed out towns, and music (possibly the greatest video game soundtrack of all time) all add up to what I consider Square Enix's greatest masterpiece. This is the most fully realized modern AAA version of the classic console JRPG, and arguably the best Final Fantasy game ever made (I will personally reserve judgment on whether it beats the original FF7 until I see how the story resolves in part 3). While the game takes place in an open world, it has a linear story that you can progress pretty quickly if you don't feel like exploring and doing side quests. However, I do recommend doing at least most of the side quests because they expand the main characters in pretty meaningful ways, and have a lot more variety than just "go to this location and kill this monster." Every aspect of the game was crafted with such care and attention to charm the player at every turn that it's kind of mind-boggling. As a Final Fantasy 7 fan, I couldn't be happier with Rebirth. The ending has disappointed some people, but as I came to understand its meaning I think it's actually quite brilliant. And there are several completely new scenes that weren't in the original FF7, but are easily as emotionally moving as anything in the original. I can't wait to play the final installment of the Remake trilogy!

This is one of the best games of all time, remade into one of the best games of 2023, and now made even better through immersive VR gameplay. The action is quick and intuitive, the visuals gorgeous and varied, and the danger feels very real. As a 3rd-person to 1st-person VR adaptation, there are some compromises such as brief changes to a 3rd-person view during melee attacks and flat-screen cutscenes. The VR adaptation is also not quite as thorough as in Resident Evil Village... but it is just more *fun* to play than Village (and that's saying a lot). One of the best PSVR2 games in a year packed with great releases. Highly recommended.

I wanted a AAA adventure game with my PSVR2, and Call of the Mountain delivers that in spades. There is a lot of climbing, but the game keeps it engaging by layering new tools and mechanics through the 8-10 hour playtime for the main story. I find that climbing is most engaging if I play while standing up, using natural turning within my VR playspace rather than turning with an analog stick. However, there are many accessibility and control options depending on your preference and tolerance to VR. While combat is only ~10% of the game, it is thrilling and engaging whenever it arises, with several ammo types at your disposal. What other game allows you to confront a house-sized machine at full scale with a bow and arrow? There are about ten different machines the game allows you to fight, sneak past, or flee from, sometimes throwing three or four of them at you simultaneously. It's in these hectic situations that I appreciated the game's restricted (circle-strafing) movement during combat, as there's already plenty to think about. The diversity of stealth, chase, crafting, and story elements elevates this above a simple climbing simulator. Words can't capture the thrill I felt at being chased through ancient ruins by a giant machine, or climbing my first Tallneck in person. And yes, the game is absolutely gorgeous throughout, particularly for a VR title. The main downside is that the game is fairly short. The main story took me about 11.5 hours the first time, but you might finish it in closer to 8 hours if you don't spend as much time gawking at scenery and cave painting as I did. I haven't platinumed the game yet at ~15 hours of playtime, but I doubt it will take less than 20 hours to do so. The game is also fairly easy; I only died three times, and none of these were in combat sequences. I do hope a Hard Mode is added eventually. Lastly, the game is reprojected from 60 to 120 Hz, so there is some visible ghosting (double-image) for fast-moving objects close to your face or while smooth-turning. I found it easy to ignore, but your mileage may vary. I would fully support if Guerrilla and Firesprite would add a Performance Mode that runs at 90 Hz native but with reduced environmental detail. In my opinion, Horizon: Call of the Mountain is an absolute essential for anyone with a PSVR2, especially if you enjoy linear story-driven AAA adventure games and don't mind a bit of a workout. Fans of the Horizon universe will derive especial pleasure from experiencing this world at full scale, and there are plenty of cameos and lore tie-ins throughout that made me jump for joy.